Machine for harvesting sugar cane

ABSTRACT

A machine to harvest sugar cane comprising a cutting disk to cut the standing cane. The disk is mounted on a convex shaped member gliding on the ground. A chain assembly seizes the cut cane to lead it between two belts which introduce it in an airblast column. At the entry of the airblast column, the cut cane is sliced sideways in the sense of movement of the cane. In the airblast column the cane is stripped and then loaded in a pick-up cart while the wastes are left on the ground.

United States Patent Minet 1 June 20, 1972 [54] MACHINE FOR HARVESTINGSUGAR CANE [72] lnventor: 7 Albert Gustave Minet, Bellevue, rue Bir- Hkw 7 L M99 suL sinqtFfi s 22 Filed: Sept. 30, 1968 21 Appl.No.: 763,825

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 12, 1967 France ..67l24293[52] U.S.Cl ..56/l0.4,56/i2.7, 56/l2.8,

56/l3.8 [51] Int. Cl. ..A01d 41/08 [58] Field ofSearch ..56/17 [5 6}References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 l jl fi: :11' '1: 1;: 22:222.:l

3,472,299 10/1969 Vyaznikov et al ..56/l7 UX Primary Examiner-RobertPeshock A ttorney-Arnold Robinson ABSTRACT A machine to harvest sugarcane comprising a cutting disk to cut the standing cane. The disk ismounted on a convex shaped member gliding on the ground.

A chain assembly seizes the cut cane to lead it between two belts whichintroduce it in an airblast column.

At the'entry of the airblast column, the cut cane is sliced sideways inthe sense of movement of the cane.

In the airblast column the cane is stripped and then loaded in a pick-upcart while the wastes are left on the ground.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures MACHINE FOR HARVESTING SUGAR CANE Multipletypes of machines are known either self-propelled or towed, which areutilized for the harvesting of sugar cane. The operations which such amachine should be capable of performing are cutting the cane at thebase, cutting this in pieces and stripping for filling in the pick-upcarts while the wastes are left on the place and serve as fertilizer.

None of the known machines completely provides these operatingprocesses, in efi'ect, the inclined cane with respect to the row ofplanting are not cut but pulled up and the stripping is incomplete sinceit leaves in general percent of the leaves at least.

The present invention concerns a combined machine for cutting the sugarcane, (that may be self-propelled or towed) which completely solves theproblems set forth above. This machine eliminates the necks and cutsjust above the ground with a ground gliding member acting near the rootsit is able to cut the cane much inclined in the row or in any directionwithout pulling up the cane root. It cuts the useful cane in pieces of 5to 30 centimeters as needed it completely strips the sugar cane once ithas been cut in pieces it loads the pieces in carts.

The invention has then for an object a sugar cane harvesting machinecharacterized by the fact that it comprises on the one hand a rotatabledisk supplied with knives, the disk being mounted on a disk shapedground gliding member, on the other had a chain assembly lightly seizesthe cane above the line of cutting and drives it rapidly towards twobelts which introduce it in an airblast column in the form of an S atthe entry of which it is cut in pieces by a slicing knife sideways inthe sense of advance.

Other complimentary characteristics of the invention will be revealedfrom the description with references to the annexed drawing. It is to beunderstood, the description and the drawing are only given as indicativeexample and by no means limiting.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II II of FIG. 1 of thechain drive device.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the two chains of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the knives and reproducer of HO. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the knives of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a machine in accordance with the inventionhaving two cutting lines.

The machine according to the invention as shown in the drawing,comprises a rotating disk 1 supplied with knives 2 which extend radiallyand which follow the shape of a convex ground gliding member 3 mountedunder the disk 1 and tuming freely on the same spindle as that of thedisk 1.

The elements which form the cutting device of the machine are mounted ona rocking arm 4 at the interior of which are positioned the gears andtransmission shaft. The arms 4 are supported by the jack 5 mounted onthe chassis which is designed to limit the force of the ground glidingmember pressing on the ground. The jack is connected to a compressed airreservoir 6 of large capacity of the type which the variations ofposition of the arm do not influence in practice the force pressing thereproducer.

In practice the canes cut at the ground are seized at the base betweentwo chains 7 and 8 which are driven at high speeds towards a devicehaving a pair of belts 9 and 10 which introduces the canes in anairblast column 11 where the operation of stripping (or effeuillage)takes place.

The chain 7 near the cutting disk is held between two wheels 12 and 13and forms a ramp against which the canes are projected at the moment oftheir being cut while the chain 8 is held on three wheels l4, l5 and 16,the part between the wheels 14 and 15 straightening the cane lying ontheir side while the part between the wheels 15 and 16 drives themtowards the portion where the chains 7 and 8 are in side by sideposition guided by the guide wheels 17.

The chains 7 and 8 which are driven by the toothed wheels 18 and 19 areprovided on the one hand with plates 20 of gum or flexible rubber whichgrasp the cane without crushing and on the other hand with fingers 21disposed under the chain 7 and above the chain 8 which drive the canebefore it is seized by the plates 20.

The guide wheels 17 which guide the chains are mounted on the springsupports 22 in a manner to be able to separate at the passing of a canegrasped between the two chains.

The chains 7 and 8 turn by side at the base of a V-shaped housing 23which guides laterally the cane.

The cane in leaving the chains 7 and 8 is put in a horizontal positionby bar 24, and is taken between the belts 9 and 10 which are suppliedwith toothed members 25 and place the cane in column 11 by an opening 26against which pass the knives 27 mounted on a flywheel 28 rotatablydriven by a beltdrive 29 connected with a motor (not shown).

The positioning of the knives 27 and the opening 26 is such that thecutting of the cane is made sideways in the sense of advancement.

The piece of cane is projected against the wall and by successivericochets reaches the bottom of the tower where it is collected on thebelt 30.

The tower in the form of an S permits the piece of cane to be presentedacross the airblast produced by the lower 31, in the most favorableposition to completely strip, and force them to turn at the ricochet onstriking the walls in all positions crossed by the pieces of cane in theairblast.

The belt 30 removes the pieces of cane towards an elevator 32 whichdischarges them in a pick-up cart.

The machine is moreover provided with a cutoff device, composed of apair of chains 33 and 34 with driving teeth leading the heads of thecane to the knife disk 35.

This device is mounted at the end of an arm 36 which is controllable inheight by means of a jack 37, the crossarm 36 receiving a driving shaftjoined by a universal joint 38 to a motor shaft 39.

The knives 2 (FIGS.4 and 5) are freely mounted on a pivot 40 mounted onthe disk 1 in a manner to provide retracting when it encounters a rockfor example. The centrifugal force being insufiicient to reposition theknives in radial position, a coil spring 41 is provided to repositionthe knives against the stop 42 determining the cutting position. Thedisk is moreover provided with paddles 43 to the right of each knife,the paddles project the cane on the chain 7.

The same motor is able to drive the different chains, belts and cuttingdevices due to the gearing permitting the proper speeds to be obtained.

Moreover, the exit of the waste(feuilles) at the top of the column maybe supplied with a flexible guide permitting to dispose them on the rowof planting freshly cut and avoiding scattering them to thesurroundings.

In another embodiment, the machine according to the invention may beprovided for cutting two rows of sugar cane.

As schematically represented in FIG. 6, the machine includes twosymmetric chains 7 and 8 and two cutting disks I mounted on independentarms 4, it is also provided with two bars 44 which straighten the canebefore cutting the two intermediate chains 45 driving the cut cane.

In this case, the head cutoff device acts on the cut cane and not beforeare previously.

The bar 24 which places the cane horizontal is now supplied with adeflector 46 acting to progressively flatten the cane before it isintroduced, as for the machine of FIG. 1, between the belts 9 and 10.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, butcovers, to the contrary, all variations.

What I claim is 1. In a machine for harvesting sugar cane theimprovement which comprises a ground gliding member, yieldable means formounting said member in position to glide over the ground, a pluralityof cutters, means for mounting and rotating said cutters adjacent thebottom of said ground gliding member for cutting the cane, a strippingcolumn, means for blowing air through said column, means for conveyingthe cane after it has been out, said conveying means being adapted tofeed the cut cane into said airblast column for stripping and a cutterfor cutting the cane into pieces before it is fed into said airblastcolumn.

2. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 whereinsaid ground gliding member is mounted on the same center as saidplurality of cutters and wherein said member is free to rotate relativeto said yieldable mounting means.

3. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 whereinsaid yieldable means for mounting said ground gliding member include anarm pivotally mounted on the chassis by means of a jack having acompressed air reservoir of sufficient volume with respect to that ofthe jack so that the action of support of the jack is appreciably thesame in any position into which the arm pivots.

4. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 whereinsaid means for mounting and rotating the plurality of cutters areadapted to yield and follow the movement of the ground gliding member asit travels over the ground and wherein the cutters each have horizontalcutting portions that extend radially out from the edge of the glidingmember.

5. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 4 whereinsaid means for mounting and rotating the plurality of cutters include arotating disk and pivotal means for mounting each cutter includingsprings adapted to maintain said knives in radial position.

6. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 whereinsaid conveying means include plates of a compressible elastic materialwhich assist in conveying the cane.

7. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 6 whereinsaid conveying means include fingers extending to the exterior of saidelastic plates.

8. A machine for harvesting sugar cane specified in claim 6 wherein saidconveying means include a housing of V-form.

9. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 whereinsaid plurality of cutters each have a paddle associated therewith toassist in moving the cane towards said conveying means. r

10. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 whichincludes a second ground gliding member and associated plurality ofcutters mounted to operate in spaced relationship to the said firstmentioned ground gliding member.

1. In a machine for harvesting sugar cane the improvement which comprises a ground gliding member, yieldable means for mounting said member in position to glide over the ground, a plurality of cutters, means for mounting and rotating said cutters adjacent the bottom of said ground gliding member for cutting the cane, a stripping column, means for blowing air through said column, means for conveying the cane after it has been cut, said conveying means being adapted to feed the cut cane into said airblast column for stripping and a cutter for cutting the cane into pieces before it is fed into said airblast column.
 2. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 wherein said ground gliding member is mounted on the same center as said plurality of cutters and wherein said member is free to rotate relative to said yieldable mounting means.
 3. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 wherein said yieldable means for mounting said ground gliding member include an arm pivotally mounted on the chassis by means of a jack having a compressed air reservoir of sufficient volume with respect to that of the jack so that the action of support of the jack is appreciably the same in any position into which the arm pivots.
 4. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 wherein said means for mounting and rotating the plurality of cutters are adapted to yield and follow the movement of the ground gliding member as it travels over the ground and wherein the cutters each have horizontal cutting portions that extend radially out from the edge of the gliding member.
 5. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 4 wherein said means for mounting and rotating the plurality of cutters include a rotating disk and pivotal means for mounting each cutter including springs adapted to maintain said knives in radial position.
 6. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 wherein said conveying means include plates of a compressible elastic material which assist in conveying the cane.
 7. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 6 wherein said conveying means include fingers extending to the exterior of said elastic plates.
 8. A machine for harvesting sugar cane specified in claim 6 wherein said conveying means include a housing of V-form.
 9. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 wherein said plurality of cutters each have a paddle associated therewith to assist in moving the cane towards said conveying means.
 10. A machine for harvesting sugar cane as specified in claim 1 which includes a second ground gliding member and associated plurality of cutters mounted to operate in spaced relationship to the said first mentioned ground gliding member. 